


Fresh Facets

by xcmlxx



Category: Doctor Foster (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 15:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20084221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xcmlxx/pseuds/xcmlxx
Summary: Simon has just left town with Kate. The product of their affair will be due to be born soon in London. Tom is still fraught, even though he hasn't seen Simon regularly for a bit. Gemma is just starting to live her life. Parminster is now open to new opportunities.





	1. Chapter 1

_ It was autumn. _

Gemma was taking a few days off of work to settle her own mind after Simon and Kate had left. It was one of the first times she truly felt free in about 8 months. She needed to care for herself, especially now that she was going to be supporting Tom as a single mother. Who knew if Simon would be of any support with domestic abuse on his personal record. Being the GP was decent pay, but it was full of long, ungrateful days that she loved, but Tom did not. He would prefer her to be at home more often, like his friends' moms. But Gemma wasn't about to give up her thriving career, especially not now that she won. Simon had left. Gemma had won. Gemma could stay.

People like Ros and Anna had been commenting for a while that Gemma needed a change, a real way to rid Simon and his distaste from her life's palate. She should move, purge her house, get a new hobby, just something to make her lifestyle feel new and rejuvenated. A fresh start.

Gemma was contented. She liked her life before Simon was a twat. Or at least before she found out he was a twat. Why should she let him win? Why should she change her happy, perfectly normal, routine lifestyle just because he was a part of it and now he's not? He was not that large of a piece of it. Nothing had to change, she and Tom just had to keep chugging along.

She did miss a piece of him though. The conversation. The company. The comfort of knowing he was at home every night. Or at least knowing he would home every night three years ago. And they spoke the same language and had the same timing. Or if one of them had forward timing, the other was ready to jump on board. They did have a good time and enjoyed each other. But why did they enjoy themselves after she knew? Why did she let that happen? Why did she want it to happen? Why was there such an obsession? A mutual attraction? Not an attraction just with sex or love, but like magnets. What was it that made it so hard to stay away from each other?

Gemma really needed a break. She could have one; the universe was practically shouting at her to take some time. She was already taking some time for herself. It was a Friday and it was a long weekend at the clinic as they were doing some reconstruction. That was at least something new, a fresh start of some type.

Gemma should take Tom somewhere. There was a little tea room in the next town that she had been eyeing for her and Simon last year. She should take Tom and they should make it a long weekend after he got out from school that afternoon. 

Gemma decided to stop sulking for a while, shower, pack bags for herself and Tom, pick Tom up from school, and head out for a couple days. After she finished this rerun episode of Corrie. Guilty pleasure.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

_Friday_

Gemma was at Tom's school a bit early, so she sat on the bench and was watching passersby while simultaneously not paying attention to much everything was a little bit hazy these days. She liked her life now that Simon was gone, but she missed their life before he ruined it. She was just trying to get through everything and get to the greener grass.

Isobel's mom arrived. That was hard to face. What was she doing now? Was she working for Simon's old company? Did they go bankrupt as well? Did he ruin all of their lives as well? Becky looked well. Fit even. Glowing almost. Definitely happy. And she hadn't even seen Isobel yet. Isobel was spunky and Tom likely fancied her, but he was always clear that they were just friends. Gemma did see the way they got along, though. And Isobel was a good person for him to know, since Becky and her husband had divorced a couple years earlier. Becky had been in quite a predicament when Gemma was just discovering things. Gemma felt guilty for some of the things she said and manipulation she conspired, especially since Becky must have been so torn between Simon, her boss, and Gemma, a fellow woman scorned. But Gemma could feel little remorse considering she was so distraught at the time.

Isobel and Tom walked out of the building together. Tom looked a little reluctant, and perhaps disappointed, to be leaving the building. Weekends were hard. What used to be family time was now Mother-Son time. But they both were often too miserable to actually spend time together. Their weekends often consisted of telly, crisps, and the occasional dinner out. If Gemma felt like driving. She sometimes tried to cook, but Tom was so judgmental and disrespectful sometimes that it wasn't often worth it unless it was the simple pasta with a manufactured cheese sauce and no sense of nutrition. Not like he is a medical doctor's child or anything. 

Isobel walked up to her mom, hugged her, smiled bye to Tom, and walked to Becky's car. Gemma tried to smile in Becky's direction to be cordial, but Becky didn't happen to look her way. Tom trudged toward Gemma. She tried to smile at him while she sat up. His head was down, watching his shoes scuffle with the pavement. He looked dull and tired.

"How was your day?" Gemma said with as much interest as she could muster.

"Okay." Tom was still not very chatty. 

"Are you up for a tiny stay in Hitchin? I've been meaning to get arou-"

"You've already planned it, haven't you? Why are you asking if you've planned it? I don't want to go but I can't say no, can I?"

"I can cancel it if you're not up to it, it's not something to worry about, Tom."

"We can go. I just thought it was silly, you asking."

"Okay. We're going to Hitchin for two days." Gemma decided it wasn't worth a fight, and if he was semi-willing to go, then there was no need to fight. She did note that she needs to instill some respectfulness, manners, and resiliency into him, though.

One the drive back to the house so Tom could get his gameboy, Gemma sprung an idea.

"How would you like inviting Isobel and her mum for our little holiday?"

"What do you mean? Like they'll stay with us?"

"Well, not in our room, but, yes, jointly, if they decide to join us."

"I don't know."

"Okay. Let me know when we get home whether I should call them or not. How was your day?"

"Okay."

Neither Tom nor Gemma initiated further conversation the rest of the way home.


End file.
